Teacher Resources
Portsmouth
This lesson examines the December 1774 raids on Fort William and Mary as a case study in pre-revolutionary political violence: what conditions made them possible, what risks the participants were taking, and what the British response revealed about the limits of royal authority. Students analyze the intelligence network that made the raids possible (including Revere's December ride), evaluate Sullivan's decision-making, and consider how an act that could have been prosecuted as armed robbery was later reframed as a patriotic first blow.
Grade Range
7-10
Duration
2-3 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
This lesson examines the December 1774 raids on Fort William and Mary as a case study in pre-revolutionary political violence: what conditions made them possible, what risks the participants were taking, and what the British response revealed about the limits of royal authority. Students analyze the intelligence network that made the raids possible (including Revere's December ride), evaluate Sullivan's decision-making, and consider how an act that could have been prosecuted as armed robbery was later reframed as a patriotic first blow.
Essential Questions
- What is the difference between a crime and a revolutionary act? Who decides?
- Why are the Fort William and Mary raids less well known than Lexington and Concord, even though they happened first?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Ship's Log, USS Raleigh, 1776-1778
National Archives, Record Group 45 (Naval Records Collection)
PRIMARY · TIER1
Journals of the Continental Congress: Naval Committee Records, 1775-1776
Library of Congress
View SourceINSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Strawbery Banke Museum: Revolution in Portsmouth
Strawbery Banke Museum
View SourceSECONDARY · TIER1
John Langdon of New Hampshire
Rumford Press (Lawrence Shaw Mayo)
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will describe the Fort William and Mary raids as the first organized seizure of British military property by American colonists
- 2Students will analyze the intelligence network and decision-making that made the raids possible
- 3Students will compare the categorization of the raids as crime versus revolution and identify who controlled that categorization
Assessment
Portsmouth in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Portsmouth significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Portsmouth during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.